Press Council confirms freedom of satire

The Swiss Press Council has rejected as unfounded a reader complaint against the newspaper Le Temps, which had published a caricature of the Pope. The illustration showed the body of the deceased pope lying in state, a crowd of believers and a crucifix. Jesus on the cross addresses the crowd with the words "Doesn't it bother you that I exist?". The Press Council's ruling confirmed that the freedom of satire and caricature should not be restricted by religious prohibitions. However, it recalled that the principle of proportionality, the ban on discrimination, human dignity and the principle of truth must be observed.